Voice of America launched a daily Armenian-language TV feed on 3 May, aimed at providing daily TV stories to viewers in Armenia and the extensive Armenian diaspora throughout the Middle East and Europe. For this venture, VOA has partnered with Armenia TV, which will air the feeds during its weekday newscasts and present a 30-minute block of VOA television material every Saturday.
“VOA has been an important source of news and information for Armenians since 1951, and this move to television will help us reach an even greater audience,” said VOA Director David S. Jackson. “This is especially important as Armenia faces continued challenges as it develops toward a more open and democratic civil society.”
VOA’s Armenian service recently ceased its radio broadcasts in order to focus on providing television news reports and features. The Armenian Service will be able to build upon its already large radio audience to reach an even greater number of viewers throughout Armenia. A recent survey showed that 97 percent of Armenians use television each week as a source of news about current events. Armenia TV reaches 52 percent of viewers between the ages of 25 and 50 in Armenia alone and is one of the first private TV-companies in Armenia to have such an extensive reach via satellite. Armenia TV is also available via satellite subscription in Western Europe and the Middle East, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Bulgaria, Romania, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Greece, Lebanon, Syria and Israel.
Amerikai Dzain Herustahandes (VOA TV Magazine) is included in each weekday news programme, broadcast at 3:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. local time (1000 and 1330 UTC) to audiences in Armenia. A compilation of each week’s reports will air Saturdays at 11:00 p.m. local time (1800 UTC).